Medford boys lacrosse remain Greater Boston League’s best

It was another banner year for the Medford High boys lacrosse team. The Mustangs continued their Greater Boston League mastery, going undefeated in the league standings to clinch the title for the 10th straight year.

It was business as usual for Medford coach Anthony Tortora, who started the winning tradition when he first took the head coaching reins a decade ago.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” said Tortora. “As fun as it was for the players everyday, it was just as fun for me watching them get better, learn and succeed.”

Medford made short work of the competition, going a perfect 8-0 in the Greater Boston League en route to a stunning 14-4 regular season run.

A team sporting a nifty balance of offensive explosiveness and defensive smarts, the Mustangs were at full gallop by mid season, following a dominant win over Beverly.

“I think the whole team clicked and came closer together,” said Tortora. “The way that we executed on both sides of the ball in that game and stuck together. That was a moment I think a lot of them will remember.”

Finishing atop the GBL standings is something the Mustangs strive for.

“It’s always good to be on top,” said Tortora. “It really is a testament to how much work the players put into their game all year long. We knew it was in our grasps if we worked hard every day.”

Medford hit its lone speed bump during postseason play, falling to No. 2 seed St. John’s Prep, 19-1, in first round action of the MIAA Division 1 Tournament, May 25. Although it was difficult for a public school to lose to a perennial private school power, the Mustangs took it all in stride.

In the end, Medford had nothing to be ashamed of. The squad remained committed to getting better with each game.

“It may sound cookie-cutter but this group really bought into the team,” said Tortora. “Everyone knew their role and had a part. We saw early in the season that it takes everyone on the roster to accomplish our goals. As long as we followed that, we had success. Having a group of guys who want to battle with each other at every practice with smiles on their faces, all pushing each other to get better, is the backbone that drove us all year.”

Leading the way for the Mustangs were tri-captains Nathan Tremlett, Cooper Su and James Montello.

A senior attack, Tremlett torched opposing goaltenders scoring 62 goals and 124 points this season. He capped a terrific career with the Mustangs collecting over 200 goals and more than 150 assists for 362 points. He’ll report to prep school this fall, before committing to play D1 college lacrosse at Long Island University.

“Nathan has been an absolute dominant force over his tenure,” said Tortora.

Su and Montello provided the Mustangs with added firepower. A junior midfielder, Su came up clutch on countless occasions. A junior defenseman, Montello anchored the back end.

“Both have had a fantastic year,” said Tortora. “And with another year to play could be players that really shake up things next year.”

The power trio fronted a veteran-heavy group that featured seven seniors, including Vincent Castro, Anthony Madarese, Jeremy Morris, Alex Pinto, Josh Santos and Braden Walker.  Morris heads to Salem State University in the fall to play D3 college lacrosse.

“This senior class really meant a lot, not only to the coaching staff, but to the program,” said Tortora. “This group started out as freshmen all trying get back to normalcy after COVID. Their freshmen season was the first full season back. The 2020 season was cancelled and 2021 was abbreviated to only seven games. These seniors were given a blank slate and truly made the most of it.”

Meanwhile, a few of Medford’s young guns continued to develop.

Junior midfielder Lucas Dyous-Goulden and junior attack Milo Liu played big-time minutes all season. Newcomers such as sophomore defenseman James Camuso and sophomore attack Joe Russo, also earned spots in Medford’s starting lineup

“Both stepped into starting roles this year and didn’t miss a beat,” said Tortora.

Although they’ll be losing over a half dozen seniors over the summer, Medford appears ready to retool. Underclassmen Hayden Butler, Carter Charron, Evan Ciarlone and Patrick Converse will help usher in the next era. Gabe Kennedy, Dom Lyons, Nicolas Morris, Reid Pacini and Ben Tuco, look to continue the Mustangs' winning ways.

“The future depends on our returners,” said Tortora. “This senior class got better every day and put a lot of work in the off-season. We have every reason to continue that success next year, but only if that hard work and dedication continues.”